1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a child resistant cap and container. More specifically, it is directed to a snap-on type child resistant cap and container. The child resistant cap and container of the present invention may be used in any industry where child resistance to opening a container is necessitated, such as pharmaceutical, over the counter medicines, caustic cleaners, materials containing high concentrations of harmful liquids, powders or otherwise.
2. Prior Art Statement
The present invention child resistant cap is based on a unique arrangements of components whereby the cap must be twisted in a specified direction and then pushed down and twisted further, then released up in order to be removed. There are literally thousands of prior art patents directed to various types of safety closures and some of these do provide for various types of movement with specified mechanisms, as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,682 describes a safety bottle cap in which one or more detentes are guided through a labyrinth maze in order to arrive at a point where the cap can be removed from the neck of the bottle. The construction of the labyrinth is such that the cap must be moved in a manner quite unlike the manner in which is normally removed from a bottle. Thus, it may be that various rotations and pushing may be required to accomplish a completed path through a particular labyrinth. However, this does not operate in the same manner as the present invention nor does it use the same structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,869 is directed to a closure assembly which has two separable closure members which are pre-assembled in coaxially stacked relationship, with their tops aligned in the same direction. The lower closure member of the stack assembly has locking elements which are engagable with cooperating locking elements on the container, thereby providing a child resistant closure. The upper closure is a simple snap cap, plug cap or other closure which is not child resistant. The upper closure is removably attached to the lower child resistant closure by an interference fit between the resilient attachment members integrally formed as parts of the upper and lower closures. The assembly can be separated so that the upper piece may be used without the lower piece to render the closure non child resistant rather than child resistant. The child resistant mechanism includes the use of downwardly opening notches and receiving keys with a lug with slanted camming surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,598 describes a child resistant package with a tamper indicating device. This includes a snap-on closure with a container having a neck finish which includes annular retaining bead having at least one notch and a closure having a top and a peripheral skirt. The skirt has a lifting tab of the outer surface and a first radially inwardly extending locking lug on the inner surface adjacent the external lifting tab. A cover cap having a top wall and a peripheral wall placed over the closure and the peripheral wall of the cover surrounds the peripheral skirt of closure. An annular band is connected to the lower edge of the peripheral wall of the cover cap by weakened portions. The band includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially inwardly extending lugs that project beneath the free edge of the peripheral skirt of closure so that the cover can not be removed until the band is first removed by severing it from the closure cap. The band normally obscures the view of the indicia on the container that indicates proper alignment of the lug on the closure with the notch on the container. The cover cap normally obscures the view of the construction and indicia on the closure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,218 describes a child resistant closure device for a closable container which, at its users option, can be used as a child resistant cap or one which is non child resistant. An outer cap rotatably and slidably engages an inner cap that directly closes a container with an intermediate element biasing the outer and inner caps apart from each other but formed so as to take up a first position in which an axially applied force by the user temporarily non-rotatably couples the inner and outer caps for child resistant operation, and an axially applied force on the intermediate element coupled with a partial turning of the outer cap relative thereto causes permanent nonrotatable engagement between the outer and inner caps through the intermediate element to make the safety closure non child resistant.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,729 describes an elder-accessible child resistant container which involves rotation and lifting through a plurality of ribs to enable the user to open the closure. This is sometimes referred to as a combination lock cap as the proper rotational positionings must be achieved in order to open the container.
Notwithstanding the prior art, it is believed that the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious.